In 2016, the Michigan League for Public Policy ran a celebratory blog about the Obama administration’s rule change that would have raised the annual salary threshold below which workers must be paid mandatory overtime pay when they work more than 40 hours in a week, from $23,700 to $50,400. Unfortunately, the rule never went into effect, having been held up in court following a challenge by Michigan’s then-Attorney General Bill Schuette and several other state AGs. Then-Gov. Rick Snyder was mum on the issue.
The League, in 2017, blogged about a report showing that from 2013 to 2015, approximately 130,000 Michigan workers experienced a minimum wage violation, with an average underpayment of $2.05 per hour (or $3,300 if for a full year). Examples of wage theft include paying workers less than the legal minimum wage, failing to pay overtime, requiring employees to work off-the-clock, denying workers their meal breaks, taking illegal paycheck deductions, and misclassifying employees as independent contractors to pay a wage lower than the legal minimum. Again, at that time, there seemed to be little appetite from the attorney general to put resources and energy into pursuing payroll fraud cases and from the governor to make policy changes to address the problem.
The good news is that times have changed with new state leadership. Michigan now has a governor and attorney general who stand up for the well-being of workers. In April of this year, Attorney General Dana Nessel announced the creation of a payroll fraud enforcement unit within the attorney general’s office to investigate worker claims of wage theft and employee misclassification. In August, she stood with lawmakers to endorse a bill package that would strengthen laws against payroll fraud and provide protections for whistleblowers that report it.
And, this past October, following heavy advocacy by the League and other organizations, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced that in the absence of the Trump administration’s adoption of the Obama overtime rule, her Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity will be raising Michigan’s overtime threshold higher than the national threshold. The level of the threshold will be decided after discussion with labor and business stakeholders around the state.
The governor’s announcement is important because, while President Donald Trump framed his increase of the overtime threshold to $36,000 as a win for workers, it actually leaves out approximately 200,000 Michigan workers that would have been covered under the Obama rule. Workers earning between $36,000 and $51,000 can be made to work 50, 60, or even more hours a week without receiving the time-and-a-half that 9 out of 10 Michiganians support as a right.
So, although the Thanksgiving holiday has come and gone, we can continue to express our gratitude that the executive branch in this state is committed to improving the lives and livelihood of Michigan workers. Let’s hope legislative leadership will follow suit.
Emily Jorgensen joined the Michigan League for Public Policy in July 2019. She deeply cares about the well-being of individuals and families and has a great love for Michigan. She is grateful that her position at the League enables her to combine these passions and work to help promote policies that will lead to better opportunities and security for all Michiganders.
Jacob Kaplan 
Mikell Frey is a communications professional with a passion for using the art of storytelling to positively impact lives. She strongly believes that positive social change can be inspired by the sharing of data-driven information coupled with the unique perspectives of people from all walks of life across Michigan, especially those who have faced extraordinary barriers. 
Rachel Richards rejoined the League in December 2020 as the Fiscal Policy Director working on state budget and tax policies. Prior to returning to the League, she served as the Director of Legislative Affairs for the Michigan Department of Treasury, the tax policy analyst and Legislative Director for the Michigan League for Public Policy, and a policy analyst and the Appropriations Coordinator for the Democratic Caucus of the Michigan House of Representatives. She brings with her over a decade of experience in policies focused on economic opportunity, including workforce issues, tax, and state budget.
Donald Stuckey 
Patrick Schaefer
Alexandra Stamm 
Amari Fuller
Renell Weathers, Michigan League for Public Policy (MLPP) Community Engagement Consultant. As community engagement consultant, Renell works with organizations throughout the state in connecting the impact of budget and tax policies to their communities. She is motivated by the belief that all children and adults deserve the opportunity to achieve their dreams regardless of race, ethnicity, religion or economic class.
Megan Farnsworth joined the League’s staff in December 2022 as Executive Assistant. Megan is driven by work that is personally fulfilling, and feels honored to help support the work of an organization that pushes for more robust programming and opportunities for the residents of our state. She’s excited and motivated to gain overarching knowledge of the policies and agendas that the League supports.
Yona Isaacs (she/hers) is an Early Childhood Data Analyst for the Kids Count project. After earning her Bachelor of Science in Biopsychology, Cognition, and Neuroscience at the University of Michigan, she began her career as a research coordinator in pediatric psychiatry using data to understand the impacts of brain activity and genetics on children’s behavior and mental health symptoms. This work prompted an interest in exploring social determinants of health and the role of policy in promoting equitable opportunities for all children, families, and communities. She returned to the University of Michigan to complete her Masters in Social Work focused on Social Policy and Evaluation, during which she interned with the ACLU of Michigan’s policy and legislative team and assisted local nonprofit organizations in creating data and evaluation metrics. She currently serves as a coordinator for the Michigan Center for Youth Justice on a project aiming to increase placement options and enhance cultural competency within the juvenile justice system for LGBTQIA+ youth. Yona is eager to put her data skills to work at the League in support of data-driven policies that advocate for equitable access to healthcare, education, economic security, and opportunity for 0-5 year old children. In her free time, she enjoys tackling DIY house projects and trying new outdoor activities with her dog.
Amber Bellazaire joined the Michigan League for Public Policy as a policy analyst in June of 2019. Her work primarily focuses on state policy and budgets affecting Michigan’s Medicaid programs. Previously, Amber worked at the National Conference of State Legislatures tracking legislation and research related to injury and violence prevention, adolescent health, and maternal and child health. She also brings with her two years of Americorps service. As a full time volunteer, Amber had the opportunity to tutor high school students in Chelsea, Massachusetts and address issues of healthcare access and food insecurity through in-person outreach in Seattle, Washington.
Simon Marshall-Shah joined the Michigan League for Public Policy as a State Policy Fellow in August 2019. His work focuses on state policy as it relates to the budget, immigration, health care and other League policy priorities. Before joining the League, he worked in Washington, D.C. at the Association for Community Affiliated Plans (ACAP), providing federal policy and advocacy support to nonprofit, Medicaid health plans (Safety Net Health Plans) related to the ACA Marketplaces as well as Quality & Operations.
